Alexander came to this old neighborhood today to gather his grandfather's belongings from the old house.

A decade ago, his family stilllived here. Back then, the Turners were just a middle-class family, living harmoniously with their neighbors, and the kids often played together in groups.

As the family business took off, the Turners grew wealthier, and this old area became more mixed. For the family's safety, they decided to move away.

Coming back here, memories flooded Alexander's mind.

Passing by the Knight Villa, his thoughts drifted back to his childhood.

He remembered playing with Wendy and a group of friends in these streets,laughing and carefree.

Wendy was always tagging along, calling out "Alexander" in her sweet.childlike voice.

Her chubby little face was especially endearing when she smiled, her eyes full of innocence and purity, as if they held all the world's beauty.

But now, times had changed, and so had people.

The once innocent and lively little girl had married, but fate hadn't been kind to her.

When he saw her at the hospital, he recognized her immediately.

He couldn't believe that the cheerful Wendy had become so tifeless and

haggard.

Alexander shook his head slightly, filled with emotion, and sighed deeply.ready to leave.

Suddenly, a small object, propelled with great force, shattered the second-floor window of the Knight Villa and flew straight at him.e

He quickly dodged, and the object fell to the ground, breaking into pieces.

Alexander looked closely and saw a note tied crookedly to the object.

Written in blood were the chilling words: [Save me.]

His heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over him. Without hesitation,

he turned and sternly ordered his bodyguards, "Quick, break down that door!"

The well-trained bodyguards swiftly found tools and began pounding on the Knight Villa's door.

With a loudcrash, the door was forced open. They rushed to the bedroom door and smashed it open as well, only to be met with a pungent, putrid stench that filled the air.

Alexander, anxious, strode into the room and looked up.

He saw Wendy, emaciated and curled up on the bed, barely breathing,like a withered leaf about to fall in a storm.

His gaze froze, his chest tight with suppressed emotion, making it hard to breathe.

He stood there for a moment before slowly approaching her frail figure.asking softly, "What happened to you?"

Wendy didn't speak; she was too weak to make a sound. Her throat felt

blocked, her voice hoarse, barelysqueezing out,"Help me."

Her voice was faint, almost inaudible, but Alexander could make out some of it.

He bent down, touched her forehead, and felt the burning heat, gasping in shock."You have a fever!"

Wendy nodded, her eyelids fluttering, eyes red.

Her lips moved, words coming out in broken fragments, "Please, help me."

"Don't be afraid," Alexander said, his emotions mixed. "I'll take you to the hospital now."

Carefully, he lifted the frail, barely breathing Wendy from the bed and hurried towards the door.

Wendy, too weak to resist, let him carry her.

She tried to open her eyes, looking at his tall, handsome figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Thanks, sorry to trouble you again," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.

Alexander didn't respond,just hurriedly carried her out.

As soon as they stepped out of the Knight Villa, they saw Ethan storming towards them.

Ethan, seeing Alexander holding Wendy, felt a surge of anger rush to his head,his eyes turning red with rage, and he charged forward without thinking.

He swung at Alexander, trying to take Wendy back, seeing her as his "property" that no other man could touch.

But before he could get far, Alexander's well-trained bodyguards quickly formed a solid wall, blocking him.

Ethan,eyes wide with fury, struggled to break through, shouting. "Let me go! Do you know who I am? How dare you stop me!"

When the bodyguards restrained him, Ethan recognized the distinguished man before him as Alexander, the CEO of the Turner Group.

Though the Collins Group was a significant company,it was nothing compared to the well-established, expansive Turner Group.

Realizing this, Ethan's anger remained, but he dared not act rashly. He suppressed his impulse, standing there, chest heaving, breathing heavily.

But he couldn't let it go, gritting his teeth, glaring at Alexander, and shouting, "Why are you holding my wife? Are you two up to something?"

His tone implied that Alexander had commnitted an unforgivable sin and that Wendy had betrayed him.

Alexander already despised Ethan's actions. Seeing his arrogant and unreasonable behavior now only increased his disdain, making him reluctant to engage.

But considering that Ethan was Wendy's legal husband, it was inappropriate to interfere in their marital affairs.

Moreover, he didn't want Wendy to wake up and face misunderstandings.causing more trouble.

So,he frowned slightly, explaining coldly, "I was passing by and heard someone calling for help. Naturally, I couldn't ignore it, so I came to help.I don't know this lady."

After speaking, he glanced at the unconscious Wendy in his arms, a hint of pity in his eyes.

Then he looked at Ethan, his tone serious, "You should check on her. She seems to be in a high fever and needs immediate medical attention.Any delay could be life-threatening."

Ethan, hearing this, felt a pang of concern and finally looked at Wendy.

Her eyes were closed, her face as pale as paper. Her forehead was burning with fever, and large beads of sweat were continuously streaming down her cheeks. Her lips were dry and cracked, utterly devoid of color.

A complex emotion surged in Ethan's heart.

Ignoring everything else, he quickly took Wendy from Alexander,holding her tightly.

Then he looked at Alexander, his hostility slightly diminished, and said hoarsely, "Thanks for saving her today. I owe you one."

Just as he was about to leave, Wendy's body convulsed, and she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The bright red blood splattered on the ground, shocking and tragic, like a shattered,withered flower.